I would want the 22 year old Donna to know that you can never love YOUR SELF enough! It all begins with self-love! When you love yourself then and only then can you truly love others! And for those moments of self-doubt and criticism, I would remind her to just Shake-It-OFF (Taylor Swift Style!)

1. Do YOU want to live a FULFILLED Life? Do you Struggle to shake off the
Negativity?
Today I wanted to talk about living a life that is fulfilled and that feels chocked
with purpose, promise, and happiness. However, I wanted to discuss these ideas
within the content of Taylor Swift’s song, Shake It Off.
Initially, I enjoyed Taylor Swift’s song Shake It Off just because of the musicality.
As an eternal dancer, I thrive on grooving to an awesome beat! However, for
some reason that song dropped into my spirit, this morning. So I Google’d the
video and found it on You Tube. As I twisted around to the beat, I stopped for a
moment and took a pause. For the first time I listened to the lyrics. I was
pleasantly surprised to learn that not only was the beat awesome but there was
actual substance to the lines of the song.
In the second verse, Taylor sings:
I never miss a beat,
I’m lightening on my feet,
I’m dancing on my own,
Make the moves up as I go…
I shake it off!
I LOVED that! These words resonated with me because they emphasized
resiliency, hope, encouragement, and confidence; all ideas that I focus on.

2. Let’s look at a few lessons we can learn from what presents on the surface as a
lighthearted song.
I never miss a beat – This line made me think about the importance of continual
progression. Keep moving, keep striving, and keep going. We all have dreams,
but sometimes it’s really easy to lose momentum because we start to doubt, we
lose hope, or we become impatient.
I’m lightening on my feet – Think about lightening. It’s a quick flash and burst of
energy! The pursuit of anything will require energy, but sometimes we all feel
burnout. We’re stressed, overworked, and sometimes questioning our purpose. If
you find yourself in that space, you need to get reenergized! What helps you burn
stress and feel like your running on all cylinders? For me, it’s dance and Bikram
yoga. You should take some time to figure out what helps you feel recharged.
I’m dancing on my own – Happiness is truly an individual pursuit, meaning only
you can define what makes your heart sing. So stop trying to keep up with Sally
and Tom Jones. Seek to discover what your personal passions are. It may
require you to be a trendsetter. Setting trends can feel lonely and a little nerve
wracking, because you’re putting yourself out there! However, to do anything less
means to cheat your self from living a full life.

3. Make the moves up as I go – Too often so many of us want a step-by-step
delineated plan. However, life is usually unpredictable! So we need to just go with
the flow, of life, trusting our instincts and faith in God to help us navigate the
twists and turns of life.
Taylor ends the stanza with the words Shake It Off! So although we need to: 1)
keep making progress, 2) learn how to recharge, 3) be unafraid to set trends, and
4) be flexible – in all things it’s important to forgive ourselves! If we miss the
mark, we make a mistake, we hit a dead end, just remind your self it’s all a part of
life! And THEN — Just Shake It OFF!
Life According to Me,
Dr. Donna
And for more words of encouragement, check out my blog at
www.donnadoctora.com
Twitter:
donnadoctora6